Dr Barry Quirk CBE

Barry worked in London’s local government for 45 years; two-thirds of which he served as a Chief Executive. First, at the London Borough of Lewisham; second, at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which he joined in 2017 in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

Barry served a four year term as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of HM Revenue & Customs. He was an independent member of two capability reviews of HM Treasury. And for five years, he served the UK Government as its National Efficiency Champion for English local government. In 2007 he produced a landmark report for Government on the potential of public asset transfers to community groups.

Barry has been the President and Chairman of SOLACE. He has a PhD in the geography of public policy, and writes regularly on local government. His 2011 book “Re-imagining Government” was published to critical academic acclaim.